Quantity Take Off or QTO is a well known project estimating company serving to the contractors, home builders, architects, design- build firms and sub contractor trade. We are providing estimating service since 2002 with a great chronicle of success.

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Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Yakov Polyakov has developed GoBeam 2014, the exclusive spreadsheet based software, for construction professionals. This easy to use software can be very effective for constant beam analysis.

This useful construction program contains some handy features like static and moving loads, support settlements, non-linear analysis of beam on elastic foundation and influence lines analysis as well as flexible and column support conditions, hinges and variable beam.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

If steel reinforcement bars (“rebars”) as well as plates or fibres are merged with concrete, the reinforced concrete is generated. Reinforcement provides additional tensile potency to concrete. Reinforced Concrete produces several skyscraper buildings within short span of time.

Reinforced Concrete is applied for various structures types and components which range from beams, slabs, walls, columns, foundations and more.

Strength Design Method follows the principles that design strength that includes axial force, shear force, bending moment etc. must be higher than or identical to Factored Load (essential strength).

Design Strength can be calculated with multiplication of nominal strength by strength reduction factor. Nominal strength is measured through static equilibrium and consistency of stress and strain.

Factored loads are measured with multiplication of the service load by overload factor U.

Description of Reinforced Concrete Beams: The formal strength of a reinforced concrete beam is figured out if the strain in the extreme compression fibre is identical to the crushing strain of concrete (0.003).

Reinforced concrete beam is categorized as singly reinforced (rebar only in tension region of the section) or doubly reinforced (rebar in tension compression regions of the section).

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

William McLean, Pete Silver (teacher at the School of Architecture and the Built Environment at the University of Westminster) and Peter Evans (Technical Director at the London office of consulting engineers MLM) have written an exclusive ebook that can streamline structural design and analysis processes for Structural Engineers. The book contains 208 with over 436 illustrations.

This book will help the structural engineering professionals to sharpen their knowledge concerning basic thories and practices useful for constructing architectural structures. The book will also provide guidance to the structural engineers to resolve any technical and design issue efficiently.

This construction book is segregated in four parts - 'Structures in nature' looks at structural principles found in natural objects. 'Theory' highlights general structural theory and narrates the primary forces in engineering. 'Structural prototypes' contain instances of model creation and load testing executable by the students. The fourth section, 'Case studies', provides a different range of illustrations which come from all through the globe – original buildings that follow the theories and testing explained in earlier sections.

All the informations in the book are supported with particularly sketched diagrams, models, CAD visualizations, construction details and snapshots of finished buildings.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Beam refers to a structural member and it is positioned laterally. When any load is delivered to it, Beam easily withstands the bending.

In a RCC beam there exist different types of components like wood, steel, aluminum, etc. Generally RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) is used as material in RCC beam. Based on the various factors, different sorts of RCC beam are available in the market. As for instance, Beam becomes rectangular, T-beam according to its shape. Beam is called double reinforced, single reinforced on the basis of reinforcement positioning.

Based on their supporting systems, RCC are available with 4 different types :-

Simply supported beam or simple beam

Semi-continuous beam

Continuous beam, and

Cantilever beam.

Given below their brief definition :-

Simple beam: It consists of a single length. It is sustained with two supports at either ends.

Semi-continuous beam: This beam doesn't contain more than two lengths. It is sustained with not more than three supports. In technical term, it is called as a continuous beam.

Continuous beam: This type of beam contains over two spans and it is sustained with more than three supports along its length. The supports are provided in one perpendicular line thus the spans are also in a perpendicular line.

Cantilever beam: It contains one support in one end and another end is exposed.

Another sort of beam exists in civil engineering field that is known as over-hanging beam. This beam expands behind its supports. In fact, this beam is created with the amalgamation of simply supported and cantilever beam.

A regression line is then sketched on the graph with visual inspection to compute the total fixed cost and variable cost for each unit. The meeting point of line in y-axis denotes the calculated fixed cost and the slope of the line denotes the average variable cost for each unit.

This method should be used cautiously as the visual inspection does not include any mathematical testing.

Monday, October 5, 2015

Proper estimation helps construction professionals to find out the prospective construction cost concerning a project. Estimating is prepared at different phases of project duration and it is based on the objective of estimation. Initially estimation is initiated by the contractor prior to actual commencement of construction. The contractors make estimate for creating the budget of the project or bidding the project. Different types of estimates are prepared according to project manual and submitted drawing as well as objective of applying estimated data.

Detail Estimate - It contains everything necessary for executing the project together with overhead and contractor's profit. In order to create this type of estimate, the estimator should require the complete set of drawing and instruction manual of the project. By using this estimating method, the estimator can obtained the required materials, labor, time for successful completion of the project as well as total cost details and overhead along with contractor profit. It also comprises of insurance, bond, equipment and other useful elements.

Unit Based Estimate - This type of estimate is made as = calculated building area x predefined unit cost. This is modified by calculating building height, length, width and other required building components. A simple floor plan having measurement and key elevation of the building are the vital elements for producing this type of estimate. The motto of this type of estimate is to verify wheather the project is formed according to owner's budget or not.

Model Estimate - This type of estimate is created on the basis of a model project that is evolved earlier. Some major components like length and width of building, number of base, size of base, floor height, number of bath etc should be figured out to create this type of estimation. But here, one thing should be remembered that the intended project must be identical to model project. This type of estimate generates a detailed estimate of complete project or a part of project according to the model project.

Project Comparison Estimate - By following this estimating method, an estimator produces estimate regarding projected project by making comparison with corresponding completed project. Once the comparison estimate is made, estimator creates modification for variation concerning proposed project with the completed project.

Parametric Estimate - With this estimating method, an estimator applies equations for producing the estimate. This equation denotes the correlation amidst "parameters" and "cost" of a building project. This estimate has similarity with unit based estimate but it is more complicated. This type of estimate is useful for defining proposed project cost.

There also exist other useful estimating methods for finding out the cost of project in the various locations of the globe. Recently, various computer programs are emerged out to simplify and speed up the estimating process.